Speaker
Description
The proton–boron fusion reaction (p + $^{11}$B) is one of the candidate reactions for aneutronic nuclear fusion energy. Two resonances have been reported at laboratory energies of 160 and 600 keV; however, the reported cross sections show significant discrepancies among previous measurements.
We plan to perform new measurements of the reaction cross sections using state-of-the-art detector systems and digital electronics, providing nearly $2\pi$ geometrical coverage. A key requirement for this experiment is a thin, self-supporting, highly enriched $^{11}$B target.
To meet this requirement, we have been developing such targets using evaporation and sputtering techniques. In this contribution, we present the current status of the target development and outline the experimental plan for the forthcoming cross-section measurements.